Wallpaper Backing on Silks

Published: 07/18/14 09:13 PM

Silk fabric, when used as a wallpaper, can dramatically change the look and feel of any room in an interior setting. Silk fabric has long been the most sought after for wallpapers, but silk can be extremely difficult to apply on a wall due to the nature of the fabric. In fact, some wallpaper hangars refuse to work with silks because the fabric is expensive and often cannot be replaced if there are any mistakes made during installation. Since working with silks can be difficult, mistakes can easily be made. Nonetheless, for those clients with high-end, luxurious needs, there is simply no substituting for look and feel of 100% silk fabric on a wall.

Photo showing silk Dupioni used as a wallpaper

JRB has developed techniques to compensate for silks natural inability to wallpaper well. Using our proprietary wallpaper backing technology, fabric hangars will find it significantly easier to work with silks. Below we have outlined some issues wallpaper hangars have had in the past and how our techniques can compensate:

Problem 1: Raw silk fabric is not durable or stiff enough on its own

Our wallpaper backing adds the necessary stiffness to to fabric to make it more suitable for wallpaper type applications. Our wallpaper backing is significantly stiffer than the knit backing used in upholstery.

Problem 2: Adhesives seep through the back of the silk fabric and end up staining the front

A proprietary moisture resistant barrier is placed between the silk and the backing, thereby stopping any adhesive from seeping through.

Problem 3: Silk is difficult to replace, and can often stain easily

We apply a Stain Protection chemical formulation to the face of the fabric that protects it from all types of moisture and most types of stains. The stain protection is specially designed not to change neither the texture nor the color of the original fabric.

Problem 4: Only certain types of silks can be used as wallpapers

Our backing can support all types and colors of silk fabric. Embroidered and brocade silk fabrics particularly look excellent when applied to interior walls, provided that wallpaper backing has been applied to them beforehand.

Problem 5: Silk wallpapers can be difficult to maintain

Aside from the ease of application, our wallpaper backing is also very easy to clean and maintain. Wallpapers with our backing can be scrubbed with water without the fear of the wallpaper peeling off. The stain protection applied to face of the fabric protects from stains.

We hope this answers some of your questions regarding wallpaper backing. Remember that you can apply any backing or finishing services on silk you purchase from us. If you have your own fabric you can send it to us as well to get it backed. If you'd like a complimentary brochure containing samples of backed fabrics as well as pricing information, please contact us today.